Menzies Campbell Menzies Campbell Lord Campbell of Pittenweem Sir Menzies "Ming" Campbell is one of the most respected and successful politicians of his generation. He was MP North East Fife for over a quarter of a century between 1987 and 2015. He was born in 1941 and educated at Glasgow University, where he graduated as a Master of the Arts and Batchelor of Law. He went on to study at Stanford University, California where he carried out post-graduate studies in international law. He was called to the Bar in Scotland in 1968 and appointed Queens Counsel in 1984. Ming held the British record for the 100 metre sprint between 1967 and 1974, and captained the Great Britain athletic team in 1965 and 1966. He still retains a particular interest in athletics Ming campaigned with the Liberal Democrats in North East Fife in the General Elections of 1979 and 1983. His work in the constituency helped win the seat for the Liberals overturning decades of Conservative control.

Each election he reduced the Tory majority, bringing the Liberals closer to winning, until 1987 when Ming won with a majority of 1,447. Throughout his career as an MP Ming and his local team achieved large Liberal Democrat majorities as his reputation as an intelligent and decent politician grew. During his long political career Ming served as Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson between 1992 and 2006, a role that saw him throw his support behind Lib Dem opposition to the 2003 Iraq War. He went on to be Deputy Leader of the party between 2003 and 2006, before taking over from Charles Kennedy as Leader of the Liberal Democrats. Ming played a key role in turning the Lib Dems into a professional political party and he pushed for reform of the internal structures of the party to compete effectively against Labour and the Conservative Party. Under his leadership Ming promoted many up and coming Lib Dem MPs to his front bench, including Jo Swinson as Scotland Spokesperson and Nick Clegg as Spokesperson for Home Affairs.

Sir Menzies received the CBE in 1987; was appointed to the Privy Council in 1999 before being knighted in 2004 for his services to Parliament. He became a Companion of Honour in the 2013 Birthday Honours for public and political service. He has been the Chancellor of the University of St. Andrews since 2006. Ming announced he would step down from his seat of North East Fife ahead of the 2015 General Election. He received a peerage in the 2015 Dissolution Honours, and joined was introduced to the House of Lords in November of the same year. He has been married to Elspeth Campbell since 1970, in his spare time he enjoys sports, music and theatre. Menzies Campbell - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki More info on Menzies Campbell Wikis Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles .

Related top topics Top rankings for Menzies Campbell 4th 2 March 2006 – 15 October 2007 Deputy 12 February 2003 – 7 January 2006 Leader 7 May 1997 – 7 January 2006 Preceded by Sir Walter Menzies Campbell CBE QC (born 22 May 1941) is a British politician , advocate and retired sprinter . He is Member of Parliament for North East Fife and was Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2 March 2006 until 15 October 2007. [1] He held the British 100 metres record from 1967 to 1974, having run the distance in 10.2 seconds, and captained the Great Britain athletics team in 1965 and 1966.

" Menzies " is a Scottish name, pronounced /ˈmɪŋɨs/, and originally written Minȝies, the "z" being a graphic approximation of the (Middle English) yogh (ȝ) originally found in the name; hence he is often known as "Ming". Contents 7 Offices held Life outside politics Born in Glasgow , Campbell was educated at Hillhead High School , Glasgow, and the University of Glasgow , graduating with an MA and an LLB . He was elected President of the Glasgow University Liberal Club in 1962, and of the Glasgow University Union 1964-65. He was involved in debating at the Union and with the Dialectic Society , where his contemporaries included former Lord Chancellor Lord Irvine , Donald Dewar and John Smith , who attempted to recruit him for the Labour Party . He later received a scholarship to Stanford University , California . A successful sprinter at University, he competed for the Great Britain team in the 200 metres and 4x100 metres relay at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and captained the Scotland team at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica .

He also captained the Great Britain athletics team in 1965 and 1966, and held the British 100 metres record from 1967 to 1974. At one time he was known as "the fastest white man on the planet", [2] running the 100m in 10.2 seconds twice during 1967. [3] He qualified as an advocate before he became a politician. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1968 and became a Queen's Counsel in 1982. He specialised in planning and licensing law. He ceased to practise as an advocate in 2003, but returned to practice in January 2008 as a member of a chambers made up (uniquely in Scotland, where about 30% of advocates are women) exclusively of men. [4] Campbell married Elspeth, Lady Grant-Suttie , daughter of Major General Roy Urquhart , in June 1970. They have no children, though she has a child from her previous marriage.

[5] Member of Parliament Campbell became chairman of the Scottish Liberals in 1975, and was a candidate at various general elections between 1974 and 1983. After three failed attempts, he was finally elected as Member of Parliament, for North East Fife , at the 1987 general election . He was made the Liberal Democrat chief spokesman on foreign affairs and defence in 1992. He considered standing as a candidate to replace Paddy Ashdown as party leader in the 1999 leadership election but ultimately decided against it. He later said that he regretted that decision "for about 10 minutes a day". He was also one of twelve candidates for the position of Speaker when Betty Boothroyd stood down in 2000, but he lost out to Michael Martin . Campbell was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma , a form of cancer , in 2002; he underwent a course of intensive chemotherapy before going on to make a full recovery. Campbell replaced Alan Beith as deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats in February 2003 and on occasion acted as stand-in Leader of the party.

He took over in the general election campaign for three days from 12 April 2005 when Charles Kennedy took paternity leave . Advertisements Liberal Democrats Frontbenches In his role as foreign affairs spokesperson, Campbell was prominent in the Liberal Democrat opposition to the 2003 Iraq War , repeatedly arguing that the British government should publish the Attorney General 's secret advice on the war's legality and criticising Tony Blair 's support for President Bush . Unsympathetic towards what he terms the "visceral anti-Americanism " of some in the anti-war movement , Campbell has noted that: "For more than 60 years we have been engaged in an intimate and rewarding relationship with the United States ... Our two countries are bound together historically by common values and experience. But our relationship should be one of mature partnership, not one of undue deference." [6] Leader of the Liberal Democrats On 7 January 2006, Campbell became interim Leader following Kennedy's resignation, before winning the subsequent leadership contest.

Despite his relatively advanced age compared to the leaders of the other two main parties, Tony Blair and David Cameron , he started as the front-runner in the 2006 leadership election , backed by more than a third of Lib Dem MPs as well as party notables such as David Steel , Shirley Williams and Paddy Ashdown . As the race drew on it appeared that Chris Huhne , initially the outsider, was rapidly gaining support, and Huhne became the favourite with the bookmakers , [7] but Campbell regained ground. On 2 March 2006 Campbell was declared leader of the Liberal Democrats after winning the leadership election under the Single Transferable Vote method. The first-round votes placed him well in the lead, at 23,264 to Chris Huhne 's 16,691 and Simon Hughes ' 12,081. A tearful Simon Hughes was accordingly eliminated and his second-preference votes were split between the two remaining candidates. The final result was Sir Menzies Campbell at 29,697 and Chris Huhne at 21,628 on a 72% membership turnout.

[8] Campbell promoted many younger MPs to his Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team including former MEP Nick Clegg as Home Affairs spokesperson and 26 year old Jo Swinson as Scotland spokesperson. A few weeks prior to Campbell's election to the party leadership, the Liberal Democrats won the Dunfermline and West Fife seat from Labour in a by-election . This was viewed as a major victory for Campbell and as a particular blow to then Labour Chancellor Gordon Brown , who lives in the constituency , represents the adjacent seat , and featured prominently in Labour's by-election campaign. Questions over leadership However, questions were raised over Campbell's early performances at the weekly Prime Minister's Questions , [9] leading him to declare himself "perfectly confident" that he could fulfil the role of party leader. [10] Campbell regained some ground with the controversy over the US practice of " extraordinary rendition ", [11] the case of the NatWest Three , [12] and the conflict in Lebanon . [13 ] According to polls published in July 2006, twice as many voters preferred Charles Kennedy as Leader over Campbell, and this led to further criticism of Campbell's leadership.

[14] Kennedy however called rumours that he considered challenging for the leadership as "fanciful". [15] The University of St Andrews ' decision to award an honorary doctorate of law to former President Khatami of Iran sparked some criticism, although as Chancellor he is only titular head and not involved in such decisions. [16] [17] [18] Khatami was elected as President of Iran in 1997 and 2001, both occasions on platforms of social and political reform and a " Dialogue Among Civilizations " that put Khatami significantly at odds with his conservative successor, President Ahmadinejad . Shortly before Gordon Brown took over as Prime Minister in June 2007, Campbell was invited to a meeting with the then Chancellor of the Exchequer . Brown surprised Campbell by requesting that two Liberal Democrats ( Lord Ashdown and Lady Neuberger ) join his cabinet. After taking 24 hours to consult and consider, Campbell rejected the offer as unworkable, given the gulf between the parties on issues of foreign policy and civil liberties.

Labour leaked news of the meeting to the media - allegedly in order to "spin" Brown's bipartisan credentials - and went behind Campbell to offer the job of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to Ashdown anyway; he turned it down. [19] Critics note that, since devolution, the role of Northern Ireland Secretary is essentially defunct (the incumbent, Shaun Woodward , does not receive a ministerial salary [20] lending weight to claims that the job offer was merely a media-relations exercise. Campbell was accused of naivety and tactical error by agreeing even to think about the proposal. After intense speculation in the autumn of 2007, Gordon Brown announced there would be no General Election in 2007. Following this announcement, Campbell's leadership again came under question, with some in the party feeling that now the heat was off the time was ripe to get a younger leader potentially more capable of connecting with voters.

On 15 October, Campbell's deputy Vince Cable conceded on BBC TV 's World at One programme that Campbell's position was "certainly under discussion", adding "I don't think it's under threat", but on the same programme party stalwart Sir Chris Clarke advised Campbell to "go with dignity and go back to being foreign affairs spokesman, where the world listens to you." [21] Later the same day came an announceement by the party that Campbell would step down as leader. [22] [23] At the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2007 Resignation of leadership Campbell resigned as leader of the Liberal Democrats on 15 October 2007. The announcement was made from the steps of Cowley Street by Party President Simon Hughes . Alongside him was deputy Leader Vincent Cable , and they praised Ming's leadership and said the party owed him a debt of gratitude. In his letter of resignation, addressed to Hughes, Campbell stated: "It has become clear that following the Prime Minister’s decision not to hold an election, questions about leadership are getting in the way of further progress by the party". [24] Cable became acting leader of the Liberal Democrats until a leadership election could be held.

[25] Following the resignation then leadership contender Nick Clegg alleged that Campbell had been a victim of ageism throughout his term as party leader saying he had been treated "appallingly" and subject to "barely disguised ageism". [26] Concerns about ageism directed at Campbell from the media had also been raised by the charity Age Concern in September 2006. Gordon Lishman the director of the charity said "the recent media coverage poking fun at Sir Menzies has brought to light the age discrimination that is epidemic in the media and society". Attacking media coverage which seemed to focus on his age Lishman added "clearly the media needs to update its attitudes and get with the times; people are living and working longer and age discrimination is out dated". [27] Expenses claims Sir Menzies Campbell reportedly claimed in the region of £10,000 over two years to redesign his flat in London, which included the purchasing of a king-sized bed, scatter cushions and a small flat screen television. Campbell said he believed that the claims were "within the spirit and letter of the rules" as the flat had not been renovated for 20 years.

[28] Beliefs Campbell's political beliefs can be summarised as those of a moderate social liberal . Unlike Simon Hughes , his erstwhile leadership rival, Campbell's view is that the appropriate role of the state in the economy is limited to correcting market failures and funding essential public services : influenced by Treasury spokesperson Vincent Cable and Environment spokesperson Chris Huhne , Campbell has promoted radical policies to shift taxation away from ‘goods’ such as employment and towards ‘bads’ such as pollution, through a revenue-neutral restructuring of the tax system that maintains the current tax burden whilst lifting two-million low-paid individuals out of income tax altogether. [29] Campbell's primary area of interest is acknowledged to be foreign policy: he strongly supports multilateral institutions such as the European Union and the United Nations , though argues that the former must reform to become more democratic and the latter must develop new mechanisms for dealing with humanitarian crises. [30] He has also been critical of the what he claims is “disproportionate military action” employed by the Israeli Defence Force in Gaza and in Lebanon , contending that Israel’s tactics exacerbate existing tensions and lead to human rights abuses.

[13 ] Though a supporter of US-UK cooperation, Campbell has argued that the Bush - Blair relationship was one-sided and that the Labour government pursued it at the expense of Britain's standing in other international institutions, particularly the EU and UN. Although never going so far as to advocate direct affirmative action policies (such as Labour’s all-woman shortlists), Campbell has stressed the need for the Liberal Democrats to provide extra support for female, disabled and ethnic minority candidates seeking to contest winnable seats. [31] In July 2007, Campbell unveiled his radical new tax proposals. These amount to a large shift in the tax burden (certified as revenue-neutral by the non-partisan Institute for Fiscal Studies) away from low- and middle-income earners and onto higher-earners and pollution. This is to be implemented by cutting the basic rate of income tax from 20% to 16%, closing £13.5bn of tax loopholes for high-earners and imposing larger green taxes on polluters.

Campbell said of the proposals, "the unacceptable reality is that in Britain today the poorest pay a higher proportion of their income in tax than the super-rich" and that his aim was for "the rich and people with environmentally damaging lifestyles pay a fairer share". Honours Campbell was appointed CBE in the 1987 New Years Honours List ; [32] he became a Privy Counsellor in the 1999 New Year Honours; [33] and he was honoured with a knighthood in the 2004 New Year Honours for "services to Parliament ". [34] Campbell has honorary degrees from Glasgow and Strathclyde universities. He was the only person nominated to succeed Sir Kenneth Dover after he retired as Chancellor of the University of St Andrews on 1 January 2006, so took office immediately after nominations closed on 9 January 2006. He was installed as Chancellor on 22 April 2006, at which time he also received the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws .

References Profile: Sir Menzies Campbell | Politics | The Guardian Liberal Democrats Sir Menzies Campbell Sir Menzies Campbell at the launch of the Lib Dems' local election campaign in 2006. Photograph: Johnny Green/PA Monday 15 October 2007 07.48 EDT First published on Monday 15 October 2007 07.48 EDT Share on Messenger Close Sir Menzies Campbell, CBE, took over from Charles Kennedy as the leader of the Liberal Democrats in March 2006. At the time of his appointment, the former Olympic athlete and barrister was seen as a man of respect whom MPs dared not patronise or dismiss. Born in Glasgow, Sir Menzies was educated at Hillhead High School, Glasgow, and later at the University of Glasgow. His contemporaries at university included the former Lord Chancellor Lord Irvine, Donald Dewar and John Smith. Sir Menzies was elected president of the Glasgow University Union and later received a scholarship to Stanford University, California. A successful sprinter, he competed for Great Britain in the 200m at the 1964 Olympic games in Tokyo.

He also captained the Great Britain athletics team in 1965 and 1966, and held the British 100m record from 1967 to 1974. Sir Menzies became chairman of the Scottish Liberals in 1975 and was elected as the MP for North East Fife in 1987. He was made the Liberal Democrat chief spokesman on foreign affairs and defence in 1992. He considered standing as a candidate to replace Paddy Ashdown as party leader in the 1999 leadership election, but ultimately decided against it. He later said he regretted that decision "for about 10 minutes a day". He was also one of twelve candidates for the position of speaker when Betty Boothroyd stood down in 2000, but he lost to Michael Martin. Sir Menzies was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a form of cancer, in 2002 and underwent a course of intensive chemotherapy before going on to make a full recovery. He married his wife, Lady Elspeth, in June 1970. They have no children.

· This article was amended on Thursday November 8 2007. Sir Menzies attended Hillhead, not Hillend, High School. Menzies Campbell : definition of Menzies Campbell and synonyms of Menzies Campbell (English) 7 External links Education and early career " Menzies " is a Scottish name, originally written Minȝies, the "z" being a graphic approximation of the (Middle English) yogh (ȝ), originally found in the name. Born in Glasgow , Campbell was educated at Hillhead High School and the University of Glasgow , graduating with an MA and an LLB .[ citation needed ] He was elected President of the Glasgow University Liberal Club in 1962, and of the Glasgow University Union for 1964–65. He was involved in debating at the Union and with the Glasgow University Dialectic Society , where his contemporaries included Derry Irvine , Donald Dewar and John Smith , who attempted to recruit him for the Labour Party . He later received a scholarship study at Stanford University in California . Campbell qualified as an advocate before he became a politician.

He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1968 and became a Queen's Counsel in 1982. He specialised in planning and licensing law. He ceased to practise as an advocate in 2003, but returned to practise in January 2008. Campbell married Elspeth, Lady Grant-Suttie , daughter of Major General Roy Urquhart , in June 1970. The couple have no children, but Lady Campbell has a child from her previous marriage. [2] Athletics career A successful sprinter at university (he broke Olympic gold medalist Wyndham Halswelle 's 53-year old Scottish 300 yards record in 1961), [3] Campbell competed for the Great Britain team in the 200 metres and 4x100 metres relay at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo , [4] and captained the Scotland team at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica .

He also captained the Great Britain athletics team in 1965 and 1966, and held the British 100 metres record from 1967 to 1974. At one time he was known as "the fastest white man on the planet", [5] running the 100m in 10.2 seconds twice during 1967. [6] Member of Parliament Campbell became chairman of the Scottish Liberals in 1975, and was a candidate at various general elections between 1974 and 1983. After three failed attempts, he was finally elected as Member of Parliament, for North East Fife at the 1987 general election but has not lived in his constituency during his tenure as MP, although he owns a holiday home there. He was made the Liberal Democrat chief spokesman on foreign affairs and defence in 1992. He considered standing as a candidate to replace Paddy Ashdown as party leader in the 1999 leadership election but ultimately decided against it. He later said that he regretted that decision "for about 10 minutes a day".

He was also one of twelve candidates for the position of Speaker when Betty Boothroyd stood down in 2000, but he lost out to Michael Martin . Campbell was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma , a form of cancer, in 2002; he underwent a course of intensive chemotherapy before going on to make a full recovery. Campbell replaced Alan Beith as deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats in February 2003 and on occasion acted as stand-in Leader of the party. He took over in the general election campaign for three days from 12 April 2005 when Charles Kennedy took paternity leave. Liberal Democrats Frontbenches As foreign affairs spokesperson, Campbell was prominent in the Liberal Democrat opposition to the 2003 Iraq War , repeatedly arguing that the British government should publish the Attorney General 's secret advice on the war's legality and criticising Tony Blair 's support for President Bush . In 2004, Campbell gave a clear-eyed view of the Anglo-American relationship in the context of an unjust war: "For more than 60 years we have been engaged in an intimate and rewarding relationship with the United States.

We must not allow our foreign policy to be defined by that relationship. We have to recognize that the World's most powerful English-speaking nation will always be a powerful influence upon us. Given what we share, it could hardly be otherwise. But a relationship with the United States based on the flawed principle, "my ally right or wrong" is not only profoundly illiberal but will be unsustainable as well." [7] Leader of the Liberal Democrats On 7 January 2006, Campbell became interim leader following Kennedy's resignation, before winning the subsequent leadership contest. Despite his relatively advanced age compared to the leaders of the other two main parties, Tony Blair and David Cameron , he started as the front-runner in the 2006 leadership election , backed by more than a third of Lib Dem MPs as well as party notables such as David Steel , Shirley Williams and Paddy Ashdown . As the race drew on, it appeared that Chris Huhne , initially the outsider, was rapidly gaining support, and Huhne became the favourite with the bookmakers , [8] but Campbell regained ground. On 2 March 2006, Campbell was declared leader of the Liberal Democrats after winning the leadership election under the Single Transferable Vote method.

The first-round votes placed him well in the lead, at 23,264 to Chris Huhne 's 16,691 and Simon Hughes 's 12,081. A tearful Simon Hughes was accordingly eliminated, and his second-preference votes were split between the two remaining candidates. The final result was Sir Menzies Campbell at 29,697 and Chris Huhne at 21,628 on a 72% membership turnout. [9] Campbell promoted many younger MPs to his Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team including former MEP Nick Clegg as Home Affairs spokesperson and 26 year old Jo Swinson as Scotland spokesperson. A few weeks prior to Campbell's election to the party leadership, the Liberal Democrats won the Dunfermline and West Fife seat from Labour in a by-election . This was viewed as a major victory for Campbell and as a particular blow to then Labour Chancellor Gordon Brown , who lives in the constituency , represents the adjacent seat , and featured prominently in Labour's by-election campaign.

Questions over leadership However, questions were raised over Campbell's early performances at the weekly Prime Minister's Questions , [10] leading him to declare himself "perfectly confident" that he could fulfil the role of party leader. [11] Campbell regained some ground with the controversy over the US practice of " extraordinary rendition ", [12] the case of the NatWest Three , [13] and the conflict in Lebanon . [14] According to polls published in July 2006, twice as many voters preferred Charles Kennedy as leader over Campbell, which led to further criticism of Campbell's leadership. [15] Kennedy however called rumours that he considered challenging for the leadership as "fanciful". [16] The University of St Andrews awarded an honorary doctorate of law to former President Mohammad Khatami of Iran , which sparked some criticism, although as Chancellor he is the only titular head and not involved in such decisions.

[17] [18] [19] Khatami was elected as President of Iran in 1997 and 2001, both occasions on platforms of social and political reform and a " Dialogue Among Civilizations " that put Khatami significantly at odds with his conservative successor, President Ahmadinejad . Shortly before Gordon Brown took over as Prime Minister in June 2007, Campbell was invited to a meeting with the then Chancellor of the Exchequer . Brown surprised Campbell by requesting that two Liberal Democrats ( Lord Ashdown and Lady Neuberger ) join his cabinet. After taking 24 hours to consult and consider, Campbell rejected the offer as unworkable, given the gulf between the parties on issues of foreign policy and civil liberties. Labour leaked news of the meeting to the media and went behind Campbell to offer the job of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to Ashdown anyway; he turned it down. [20] Critics note that, since devolution , the role of Northern Ireland Secretary is essentially defunct, lending weight to claims that the job offer was merely a media-relations exercise[ citation needed ].

After intense speculation in the autumn of 2007, Gordon Brown announced there would be no general election in 2007. Following this announcement, Campbell's leadership again came under question, with some in the party feeling that now the heat was off the time was ripe to get a younger leader potentially more capable of connecting with voters. On 15 October, Campbell's deputy Vince Cable conceded on BBC Radio 4 's The World at One programme that Campbell's position was "certainly under discussion", adding "I don't think it's under threat", but on the same programme party stalwart Sir Chris Clarke advised Campbell to "go with dignity and go back to being foreign affairs spokesman, where the world listens to you." [21] Later the same day, came an announcement by the party that Campbell would step down as leader. [22] [23] At the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2007 Resignation of leadership Campbell resigned as leader of the Liberal Democrats on 15 October 2007. The announcement was made from the steps of Cowley Street by Party President Simon Hughes .

Alongside him was deputy Leader Vince Cable , and they praised Campbell's leadership and said the party owed him a debt of gratitude. In his letter of resignation, addressed to Hughes, Campbell stated, "It has become clear that following the Prime Minister’s decision not to hold an election, questions about leadership are getting in the way of further progress by the party". [24] Cable became acting leader of the Liberal Democrats until a leadership election could be held. [25] Campbell became the first elected leader of the Liberal Democrats who left the leadership without ever leading the party to an election. Following the resignation, a leadership contender, Nick Clegg , alleged that Campbell had been a victim of ageism throughout his term as party leader saying he had been treated "appallingly" and subject to "barely disguised ageism". [26] Concerns about ageism directed at Campbell from the media had also been raised by the charity Age Concern in September 2006. Gordon Lishman the director of the charity said "the recent media coverage poking fun at Sir Menzies has brought to light the age discrimination that is epidemic in the media and society".

Attacking media coverage that seemed to focus on his age, Lishman added "clearly the media needs to update its attitudes and get with the times; people are living and working longer and age discrimination is out dated". [27] Expenses claims Sir Menzies Campbell reportedly claimed in the region of £10,000 over two years to redesign his flat in London, which included the purchasing of a king-sized bed, scatter cushions and a small flat screen television. It was also claimed that on occasions Campbell spent eight hundred pounds a month on food. Campbell said he believed that the claims were "within the spirit and letter of the rules" as the flat had not been renovated for 20 years. [28] Beliefs Campbell's political beliefs can be summarised as those of a moderate social liberal . Campbell has promoted radical policies to shift taxation away from goods such as employment and towards bads such as pollution through a revenue-neutral restructuring of the tax system that maintains the current tax burden whilst lifting two-million low-paid individuals out of income tax altogether.

[29] Campbell's primary area of interest is acknowledged to be foreign policy: he strongly supports multilateral institutions such as the European Union and the United Nations but argues that the European Union must reform to become more democratic and the United Nations must develop new mechanisms for dealing with humanitarian crises. [30] He has also been critical of the what he claims is “disproportionate military action” employed by the Israeli Defence Force in Gaza and in Lebanon , contending that Israel’s tactics exacerbate existing tensions and lead to human rights abuses. [14] Though a supporter of Anglo-American cooperation, Campbell has argued that the Bush - Blair relationship was one-sided and that the Labour government pursued it at the expense of Britain's standing in other international institutions, particularly the EU and UN. Although never going so far as to advocate direct affirmative action policies (such as Labour’s all-woman shortlists), Campbell has stressed the need for the Liberal Democrats to provide extra support for female, disabled and ethnic minority candidates seeking to contest winnable seats. [31] In July 2007, Campbell unveiled his radical new tax proposals.

These amount to a large shift in the tax burden (certified as revenue-neutral by the non-partisan Institute for Fiscal Studies ) away from low-income and middle-income earners and onto higher-earners and pollution. This is to be implemented by cutting the basic rate of income tax from 20% to 16%, closing £13.5 bn of tax loopholes for high-earners and imposing larger green taxes on polluters. Campbell said of the proposals, "the unacceptable reality is that in Britain today the poorest pay a higher proportion of their income in tax than the super-rich" and that his aim was for "the rich and people with environmentally damaging lifestyles pay a fairer share". Campbell is currently a member of the Top Level Group of UK Parliamentarians for Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament and Non-proliferation , established in October 2009.

[32] Honours Campbell was appointed CBE in the 1987 New Year Honours ; [33] he became a Privy Counsellor in the 1999 New Year Honours ; [34] and he was honoured with a knighthood in the 2004 New Year Honours for "services to Parliament ". [35] Campbell has honorary degrees from the University of Glasgow and the University of Strathclyde . He was the only person nominated to succeed Sir Kenneth Dover after he retired as Chancellor of the University of St Andrews on 1 January 2006, so took office immediately after nominations closed on 9 January 2006. He was installed as Chancellor on 22 April 2006, at which time he also received the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws . It has been reported that Campbell is being considered for the post of High Commissioner to Australia ; this has been reported by The Guardian to have been stalled as it would trigger a by-election in Campbell's constituency at a time when the Liberal Democrats are doing very poorly in the polls.

[36] References Menzies Campbell resigns as Lib Dem leader - Telegraph Liberal Democrats Menzies Campbell resigns as Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell has been forced to resign as leader of the Liberal Democrats after a brutal coup by his own MPs. Sir Menzies was a key figure in the removal of Charles Kennedy in 2006 Photo: GEOFF PUGH By Andrew Porter, Political Editor 6:30PM BST 15 Oct 2007 After a string of desperate poll showings - the worst put his party on just 10 per cent - MPs moved to oust their leader. His removal shocked Westminster for its savage and swift nature. At a meeting of MPs Mr Campbell tried to rally support but found there were too few colleagues willing to back him. He then took the decision to stand down. Sir Menzies, 66, who would be approaching 70 at the time of the next election, was a key figure in the removal of Charles Kennedy in 2006. Ironically Mr Kennedy, who remains hugely popular with the party’s grassroots, could be a front-runner to replace him.

Sir Menzies, who lasted only 18 months, had to go or face a bruising leadership contest, after one opinion poll showed the Lib Dems could end up with no seats at an election. Events moved quickly after Vince Cable, his deputy, gave a lunchtime interview admitting that Sir Menzies’ position was "under discussion", with senior party figures privately admitting he could be gone by the end of the week. Related Articles When next leader will be chosen the rules 16 Oct 2007 Sir Menzies met senior colleagues one-to-one in an attempt to rally support but found few willing to back him. He then decided to stand down but was criticised for being absent when the announcement was made by Simon Hughes, the party president, and Mr Cable shortly after 6.30pm. In his resignation letter, Sir Menzies said: "It has become clear that following the Prime Minister’s decision not to hold an election, questions about leadership are getting in the way of further progress by the party. Accordingly, I now submit my resignation as leader with immediate effect." Vince Cable, the deputy leader, has taken over as caretaker leader until a contest is held.

Outside the party's headquarters Mr Cable said: "Ming has earned the gratitude, respect and affection of the party." Nick Clegg, the party's home affairs spokesman, is the favourite to take over. He will face a tough challenge from Chris Huhne, environment spokesman. Party president Simon Hughes said in a statement: "Over the past two years, Ming has given stability and purpose to our party. "He has hugely professionalised the working of our party and led its very successful preparations for the next general election. "Ming has made this decision - as all his political decisions - in the interest of his party and liberal democracy throughout Britain. "Every Liberal Democrat owes Ming a huge debt of gratitude." One Lib Dem source said: "This was an absolutely brutal and cold-blooded hit. "They had learned the lessons from the knifing of Kennedy, you have to be clinical and swift." Last Friday the Daily Telegraph reported that the knives were out for Sir Menzies. A senior figure told the paper: "We will get him.

There is no support for him in the grassroots." A turning point for the Liberal Democrats was Gordon Brown calling off the election 10 days ago and announcing that it was highly unlikely that there would be a general election next year either. MPs decided that 66-year-old Sir Menzies would not present a youthful face to the electorate in 2009 or 2010 and in particular in comparison to David Cameron and a resurgent Conservative party. But most MPs had accepted that any coup would have to be "bloodless" unlike the tortuous attempts to unseat former leader Charles Kennedy, who eventually admitted his alcohol problems. Gordon Brown said: "Sir Menzies Campbell is a man of great stature and integrity who has served his party and country with distinction. "His contribution on foreign policy and international affairs is valued throughout the world. I am sure he will continue to make a major contribution to public life." David Cameron, Conservative leader, said: "Sir Menzies Campbell has had a distinguished parliamentary career and is a fine public servant. I wish him and his wife Lady Campbell well for the future." The Daily Telegraph has learned that Sir Menzies memoirs are with a publisher.

He has received a £40,000 advance and is thought to be willing to add some chapters to cash in on the turmoil of the last few weeks. Sir Menzies had taken over from Mr Kennedy last March having seen off challenges from Simon Hughes and Mr Huhne. His statesmanlike performances as party foreign affairs spokesman and his role in opposing the Iraq war had convinced his party members that he would be a successful leader to follow the charismatic Mr Kennedy. But stuttering performances at Prime Minister's Questions when he took over immediately raised doubts about his suitability. His age remained a constant issue, but he defended himself and said he was ready to fight an election whenever it came. The Lib Dem conference in Brighton last month was dogged by leadership speculation. Both Mr Huhne and Mr Clegg said they would not challenge Sir Menzies while he was still leader. But last night both men were planning their leadership campaigns. Mr Huhne has the benefit of having had "a dry run" in the last leadership contest. Both are Westminster novices however, having entered parliament in 2005. Mr Clegg, the 5-4 on favourite with Ladbrokes, is likely to team up with respected schools spokesman David Laws.

A new leader will present a potential problem to the leaders of both other parties. Tory MPs at their conference in Blackpool had confided that keeping Sir Menzies in place was vital to their continued success because Mr Cameron was able to take voters away. But a younger leader could be attractive to floating voters. And Mr Brown has also benefited from votes switching back to Labour from the Lib Dems when Tony Blair resigned and the issue of Iraq became less relevant. A new leader could provide a more attractive proposition for potential Labour voters. The Prime Minister could also be considering offering Sir Menzies, a long-time friend, some advisory role in government. BBC NEWS | UK | UK Politics | Campbell quits as Lib Dem leader Campbell quits as Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies as leader Sir Menzies Campbell has resigned as leader of the Liberal Democrats with immediate effect. In a letter to party president Simon Hughes he said questions about his leadership were "getting in the way of further progress by the party". Mr Hughes said the party owed Sir Menzies "a huge debt of gratitude". Deputy leader Vincent Cable will take over as acting leader until a new leader is elected - a decision is expected by 17 December.

The official announcement was made by Mr Cable and Mr Hughes, who said Sir Menzies had taken the decision in the "interests of the party and of Liberal Democracy". Poll ratings In his letter, Sir Menzies said he had sought to restore stability and purpose, professionalism to the party's internal operations and to prepare it for a general election, when he took over as leader in March 2006. "With the help of others, I believe that I have fulfilled these objectives, although I am convinced that the internal structures of the party need radical revision if we are to compete effectively against Labour and the Conservatives," he said. Ming has earned the gratitude, the respect and the affection of our party Vincent Cable Reaction in quotes Party president Mr Hughes said Sir Menzies had brought "purpose and stability" to the party since he took over, after Charles Kennedy quit in January 2006. Former Lib Dem leader Lord Ashdown said he was a "man of honesty [and] decency" who had proved to have "remarkable political judgement". "That he has felt the need to resign this evening tells us more about the nature of modern politics than it does about Ming Campbell himself," he said.

Poor polls Speculation has been growing about the Lib Dem leadership, particularly since Prime Minister Gordon Brown decided not to call an early general election - and indicated he may not do so until 2009 at the earliest. And talk of replacing him as leader appears to have been stirred by poor opinion poll results - the latest being an ICM poll in the Sunday Telegraph which suggested Conservative support at 43% with Labour on 36% and the Lib Dems on 14%. Mr Cable and Mr Hughes made the announcement Earlier on Monday Lib Dem peer Lord Taverne said Sir Menzies should step down within weeks, adding: "My general impression is quite clear, if there's not a change of leadership, the party goes down the drain." But a spokeswoman for Sir Menzies said he had made the decision to stand down himself and had handed his resignation letter to the party's president on Monday afternoon. The announcement appears to have taken the party by surprise - his Parliamentary aide Tim Farron said he was not aware Sir Menzies was about to resign.

'Great stature' Mr Cable, who earlier on Monday had said he thought the leadership was "under discussion" but not under threat, added: "I'm very sad he felt he needed to step aside." But he added: "I don't think he was pushed. There was a very open debate about this immediately that Gordon Brown made his decision to postpone the election which could now be two years hence. "I think he took a fresh look at where he stood. He discussed this with his family and colleagues and decided the best thing he could do in the interests of the party was step aside." UK party leader quits - CNN.com UK party leader quits Menzies Campbell quits as leader of the UK's Liberal Democrats after 19 months Elected last year but beset by recent bad showing in the opinion polls Political rivals praise him for his knowledge of foreign affairs and public service Former Olympic sprinter and barrister opposed the Iraq War LONDON, England (CNN) -- British political leader Sir Menzies Campbell has quit, blaming Prime Minister Gordon Brown's decision not to hold a snap general election. Menzies Campbell, pictured addressing last month's annual Liberal Democrat conference.

Campbell's surprise resignation as the leader of the Liberal Democrats, the UK's third biggest political party, came after its recent poor showing in opinion polls. There had also been speculation among some party members that, at 66, he was too old for the job compared to political rivals like 41-year-old Conservative leader David Cameron. In his resignation letter, Campbell said that one of his aims as leader had been to prepare for a general election. "It has become clear that following the prime minister's decision not to hold an election, questions about leadership are getting in the way of further progress by the party," he said. "Accordingly I now submit my resignation as leader with immediate effect." Earlier this month Brown said there would be no election until 2009 at the earliest -- by which time Campbell would be approaching 70. An MP for 20 years and opponent of the Iraq War in 2003, Campbell was elected leader of the party in March 2006, after the resignation of previous leader Charles Kennedy. A barrister and former sprint athlete, Campbell represented Great Britain at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and also attended Stanford University, California.

In a statement, Brown said: "Sir Menzies Campbell is a man of great stature and integrity who has served his party and country with distinction. "His contribution on foreign policy and international affairs is valued throughout the world. I'm sure he will continue to make a major contribution to public life." Don't Miss

Question: Who preceded Menzies Campbell as Leader of the Liberal Democrats?
Answer: CHARLES KENNEDY